Zoology and wildlife conservation

Exceeding human limits

Article Abstract:

The collection and curation of data throughout the sciences is becoming automated, supported by the low cost digital storage and by the growing efficiency of automated instrumentation. The future of science involves the expansion of automation in all its aspects starting from data collection, storage of information, hypothesis formation and experimentation, which could lead to decreased human comprehension of the results, necessitating cognitive compatibility in the form and quantity of information presented to humans.

Chance and necessity in the evolution of minimal metabolic networks

Article Abstract:

The role of contingency was examined by repeatedly simulating the successive loss of genes, while controlling for the environment with the use of an in silico representation of the metabolic network of Escherichia coli. The findings concluded that, gene content of an organism could be predicted with knowledge of its distant ancestors and its existing lifestyle.

Functional genomic hypothesis generation and experimentation by a robot scientist

Article Abstract:

A physically implemented robotic system is described, which applies techniques from artificial intelligence to carry out cycles of scientific experimentation. This system automatically originates hypotheses, devises and runs the experiments and interprets the results.